Instant Pot Chicken Breasts – If you’ve ever wondered how to cook chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, this is your recipe! These deliciously seasoned, perfectly tender and juicy chicken breasts can be made with fresh or frozen chicken breasts.
THE BEST WAY TO COOK CHICKEN BREASTS IN THE INSTANT POT
This flavor packed chicken breasts recipe is the solution to all your busy weeknights, my friends. Thanks to the beloved Instant Pot, you can take all the stress out of making dinner with this easy Instant Pot Chicken Breasts recipe.
The chicken breasts are so tender and juicy, and it all takes only about 20 minutes, from start to finish.
Don’t have an Instant Pot, but still want juicy baked chicken breasts?! GET my Easy Baked Chicken Breasts recipe.
CAN YOU USE FROZEN CHICKEN BREASTS in the INSTANT POT?
Absolutely! The one tip I have is that you separate the frozen chicken breasts; that is, do not place them in the Instant Pot all glued together, but rather separate them and arrange them in one single layer.
Even when using fresh chicken breasts, I advise not to pile up the chicken. One single layer will ensure even cooking, and keep the chicken breasts moist.
Also, for frozen chicken breasts, it will take longer for the pressure to build in the Instant Pot; about 15 minutes. It takes 8 to 10 minutes for fresh chicken breasts.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CHICKEN BREASTS
- SEASON the chicken breasts; I use a combination of Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and olive oil to create a paste that I can rub all over the chicken breasts.
- Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot and warm up the olive oil.
- Add seasoned chicken breasts to the pot and sear on both sides just until browned. Remove chicken breasts.
- Pour pineapple juice (you can also use water or chicken broth) in the Instant Pot and scrape up the bits.
- Place the trivet inside the Instant Pot and arrange the chicken breasts on the trivet in a single layer. If you do not have a trivet, make 5 or 6 aluminum foil balls and place them inside the pot; then arrange the chicken breasts over the foil balls.
- Close pot, set valve to sealing, select the manual or pressure cook button (this depends on your Instant Pot model), select high pressure and set the timer to 5 minutes.
- When the 5 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes; then, release any remaining pressure.
- Remove chicken from pot and let rest for 5 minutes.
HOW TO MAKE GRAVY IN THE INSTANT POT
Optional, but highly recommended: DO NOT throw away the liquid and make a gravy/sauce, instead.
- After removing the chicken breasts and trivet from the Instant Pot, press the SAUTÉ button and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Make a slurry with water and cornstarch and add that to the pot; let cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until thickened to a desired consistency.
- Pour over chicken breasts and serve.
SIDE DISHES TO GO WITH YOUR CHICKEN DINNER
- Lemon Rice
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Vegetables
- Cheesy Bacon Potato Foil Packets
- Garlicky Lemon Parmesan Broccoli
- Garlic Butter Spinach Pasta
MORE INSTANT POT CHICKEN RECIPES
- Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup
ENJOY!
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TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Tender and Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 (about 6 ounces each) large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup pineapple juice, (you can also use low sodium chicken broth or water)
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts; set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl combine Italian Seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and fresh ground pepper.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the seasonings and mix until thoroughly combined into a paste.
- Rub the paste all over the chicken breasts.
- Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Once olive oil is hot, add the chicken breasts and brown on both sides; about 2 minutes per side.
- Remove chicken from the Instant Pot and set aside.
- Add pineapple juice ( or chicken broth, or water) to the Instant Pot and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom.
- Place a trivet inside the Instant Pot and arrange the chicken breasts on the trivet in one single layer.
- Close pot, set valve to sealing, select the manual or pressure cook button (this depends on your Instant Pot model), select HIGH pressure and set the timer to 5 minutes.
- When the 5 minutes are up, let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes; then, release any remaining pressure. (For frozen chicken breasts, it will take longer for the pressure to build in the Instant Pot; about 15 minutes.)
- Remove chicken from pot and let rest for 5 minutes.
FOR THE GRAVY (OPTIONAL)
- After removing the chicken breasts and trivet from the Instant Pot, press the SAUTÉ button and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Make a slurry with 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch; mix it up and add that to the pot; let cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until thickened to a desired consistency.
- Pour over chicken breasts and serve.
Notes
HOW TO STORE COOKED CHICKEN BREASTS
Let the cooked chicken breasts cool completely. Refrigerate cooked chicken breasts in an airtight container, or wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Properly stored, cooked chicken breasts will last for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.HOW TO FREEZE COOKED CHICKEN BREASTS
Wrap cooked chicken breasts tightly in plastic wrap. I also add a layer of aluminum foil over the plastic wrap. Place the wrapped chicken breasts in a freezer bag. Seal the bag, pushing down on the bag to press out as much air as possible. Place the bag in the freezer toward the back where it is the coldest. When ready to use, remove from freezer and set in the fridge overnight to thaw out.COOK'S NOTES:
FOR FROZEN CHICKEN BREASTS:- Separate the frozen chicken breasts - do not place them in the Instant Pot all glued together, but rather separate them and arrange them in one single layer.
- IF using frozen chicken breasts, it will take longer for the pressure to build in the Instant Pot; you'll need about 15 minutes, instead of the 8 to 10 minutes that it takes for fresh chicken breasts.
- IF you do not have a trivet, make 5 or 6 aluminum foil balls and place them inside the pot; then arrange the chicken breasts over the foil balls.
Slow Cooker
Beef
Can I cut breasts directly in 1/2 and then place them on trivet or would this dry them out and cause the cooking time to change?
Right. If they’re too thin, they’ll need less time to cook. Since I haven’t tested the recipe with thin cut chicken breasts, I don’t really know about how long you’d need to cook them for.
This quickly became one of my “go to” chicken recipes. It’s so easy and the results are always amazing.
Thank you for sharing this!
Thank YOU! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly and it was even better than I imagined. The sauce at the end actually became a gravy that my family loved! Can’t wait to have it again! This time with mashed potatoes!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much! 🙂
I want to make this tonight but only need two chicken breasts (they are pretty thick). Would you suggest I change anything?
Hi! 👋
No, nothing to change. The cooking time stays the same.
I just bought my first Instapot Duo 6 QT. I am a single mom and was scared to try to cook in it. SO I already had chicken that was defrosted and my daughter was asking what was for dinner. I said I dont know, maybe I can try to make some chicken in the Instapot. So I did, but I had to tweak it a little bit with the seasoning and pineapple juice. I did not have ANY of the ingredients so I just used what I usually use for seasoning. I also had to use chicken broth. I also made the gravy. The chicken did come out just a tad dry, but with the gravy it was fine to my liking. I was really impressed with how easy it was from start to finish. Thank YOU. This meal was MY FIRST in the instapot
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I just made this and it turned out great! I had pineapple juice on hand and the gravy turned out delicious. The chicken was a tad dry, should I cook it for less than 5 minutes next time? I will definitely make this again! thanks for sharing another great recipe!
Loved this recipe. I was surprised that people said it had no flavour; perhaps their herbs and spices are old 😂. I used Massell chicken stock instead of pineapple juice, but will try this again with fruit juice to see what it tastes like (maybe orange juice)
I am very glad you enjoyed it! THANK YOU! 🙂
Do you still sear the frozen chicken?
If you are using frozen chicken breasts- how many minutes are you setting the IP for? Still 5?
Hi!
Yes, it should be fine. I always do that, and when using frozen chicken breasts, it just takes longer for the pressure to build in the Instant Pot. To make sure they’re cooked through, check for doneness with an instant read thermometer. Chicken is done when internal temperature registers at 165˚F. If they’re a bit underdone, just put the chicken breasts back in the instant pot, cover with the lid, and let stand for a few minutes. The heat inside the IP will help to finish cooking the chicken breasts.
I’ve tried this a few times and its fab. I used chicken broth (not tried pineapple yet) each time comes out full of flavour and tender. It’s my go to recipe. Thumbs up from me. 🤗
That’s wonderful! I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
For those complaining about flavor, you do realize that seasoning is just a suggestion, right? Like you can season it more to your liking, sprinkle it until the voices of your ancestors say “that is enough child,” or use less even.
What is important to note while pressure cooking is that it does leave food more bland than traditional methods, so you have to account for that. Another note with pressure cooking is that the spices aren’t as important as the liquids and time. Just like the stovetop, you can adjust the spices to your taste but leave the liquids the same.
This was delicious!! My family loved it!! They said they would like to have it again. Thank you for sharing and making dinner easy for this Mommy and wife to picky eaters.
Great recipe. I used chicken tenders vs full chicken breasts. So tender! Will use all week as I meal prep. Thanks for the delish recipe!
These were…okay. Don’t think I’d make this again. There was little flavor to the chicken. I was a little surprised because it had good reviews, but after taking a closer look at the good reviews, they seem to be from people who think it sounds or looks good but haven’t made it yet.
The gravy helped a little but increases the calories.
What is the cooking time for only 2 chicken breasts?
I want to make this for dinner, but don’t have pineapple juice; wondered if orange juice would work?
Hi! Sure, any liquid will work, even water or chicken broth, but if using OJ, use the one without pulp.
Great recipe. All the tips were so helpful and the chicken came out perfect!
You have to let your pot pressure go up. Right?So after pressure builds you cook 5 min. Or so. With pressure build is more like 15 to 20 according to pressure timing. My pot has Manuel and pressure. Also adjust but the buttons will not make it move like it says. So everything medium. I hope to get a answer about building pressure soon. I want to try this tonight.
Hi!
So, let me know if this is not how your IP works, but when you set the valve to “sealing”, press the manual button, select HIGH pressure, and set the timer to 5 minutes. Once it starts, it should take its time to come to pressure (15 minutes), then it will start to count down 5 minutes. Once that’s finished, do a “natural pressure release” for 8 minutes, then do a quick release and all should be done. I hope this will help, but please let me know.
My instant pot wouldn’t go to five minutes only to four minutes… is that enough time?
You must not be setting it correctly because it will go higher. YouTube instructions for your brand pot.
I set mine to pressure cook (if you press it more than once it will change from low to medium to high each time. I keep mine on high. Then select your minutes. I have the 8 qt instant pot.
My husband loved this one. I appreciated the freestyle points values. Do the points include the sauce? I did use the pineapple juice in the sauce – well, half, which is what I had, and half water – and it was very good. Cooking time was more than enough – I weighed my chicken breasts, because size is important (thickness) for cooking time. They were perfectly done according to the recipe in my 6 quart Lux, and next time I might just try 4 minutes, for a tad less firmness, or use larger breasts at 6 minutes. Every pot is a little different, I think. I had let the chicken sit with the seasoning rub for a time before cooking, so the flavors could better infuse the meat. I served these with a potato carrot medley, which also got a topping of sauce. i have been requested to put this into the permanent rotation!
I followed this recipe exactly. However i was confused when it said let it release naturally for 8 mins. My chicken came out over done and rubbery 😢. Any tips? What did I do wrong? The gravy is so good and so is the seasoning !
We were disappointed. It just didn’t have enough flavor. I don’t know if doubling the rub ingredients would have helped, but there really wasn’t quite enough to get more than an thin coating all over the chicken. I did use pineapple juice and made the gravy and that helped. It was okay, just not great. I doubt anybody will be asking for this one again.
I made this exactly per your recipe and they turned out GREAT. Thank you!!
I can’t choose a high function. I choose manual but can’t choose high. I did 5 minutes, but it didn’t cook through.
If you have the model like mine, manual is high pressure. 5 minutes didn’t sound like enough for me so I just set mine to meat which did for 15 minutes, and I let natural release for 8 minutes like it said in the recipe. Mine came out way over 165F which is the recommended setting, but tasted great. You could try 10 minutes to hit the sweet spot.
Only other thing I did different was I made the gravy with a roux a separate pot.
Best chicken recipe in instant pot I’ve tried so far. Was worried steaming the chicken would leave it tasting bland, but it actually kept it from drying out and gave it an excellent texture, so I will be searing and steaming again in the future.
How do you put a rub on frozen chicken breasts? Thanks!
If you make a paste with the olive oil like the directions state, it adheres pretty well.
It looks super tasty! Perfect for dinner any night!
This couldn’t look any more perfect!
This is such an amazing flavor combo!! Would love to try it!
This looks incredibly delicious! I love this! looks so good!
I love easy dinner ideas! And this looks like the tastiest and healthiest dinner!
It is really impressive. Looks very tasty. Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
So easy and delicious!
This is such a great go-to recipe! Thanks for the tip about using foil.
This chicken looks delicious! A must try recipe, for sure!
Love meal prepping chicken in my Instant Pot! These flavors look amazing – pinning for later!
Instant Pot is my JAM, and I LOVE cooking chicken in it, but I wasn’t sure what kind of spices to use, so this is perfect! Thank you!
My Instant Pot came with a trivet, but I love your tip for using foil if you don’t have one. It definitely makes a difference!